Pilot passed out in cockpit, accused of being drunk, police say

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Capt. Miroslav Gronych was arrested before the flight departed.

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Police say the captain was "behaving oddly before he became unconscious"

He was charged with having control of an aircraft while impaired

London (CNN)A pilot who allegedly passed out in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 in Canada was arrested on suspicion of being drunk, police said.

Capt. Miroslav Gronych was "behaving oddly before he became unconscious in the cockpit," Calgary Police said. The 37-year-old Slovak national was due to fly the plane, with 99 passengers and six crew members, from Calgary to Regina and Winnipeg, before flying on to Cancun, Mexico.

He was charged with having control of an aircraft while impaired.

"Initial tests conducted by police indicate the pilot was severely impaired by alcohol," police said in a statement.

Budget airline Sunwing apologized for their pilot's behavior and commended the rest of the crew for their diligence in handling what they described as a "very unfortunate matter."

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Sunwing said the plane took off a short time after with a different pilot.